DS is 10mo+3w. He's had terrible sleep habits all the way through. Our longest stretch is around 4 hours. Once he slept for 6 hours. There is no pattern really, he is very unpredictable.
We have moved him out of our room and in with his 6.5yr old sister 2 weeks ago. Since we have been trying to follow a no-pick up, settle in cot with pat/shush, leaving the room after 10 mins and returning approach. It's worked quite well up to a point. Especially considering before he was needing to be held or fed to sleep. But his sister's sleep is also a consideration as she does get disturbed by lots of crying.
The current situation:
2 x 45min naps during day, mid morning, early afternoon. Never more, not for any amount of resettling, at home or in buggy.
Goes to sleep rather tired at 7pm. Has been fed to sleep mainly but recently making progress at being put in cot awake, just takes more settling.
Usually has best sleep from 7pm - 11pm, sometimes a little longer. Dropped top up feed 5 weeks ago and seems to be sleeping better now without.
Sometimes wakes once or more between 11pm- 1am. Usually settles with minimal intervention.
The fun begins anywhere from 3:30am on - but usually around 4:30am. He is waking, probably as I have fed him at 5am for a long time. But now, regardless of whether I feed him or not he won't go back to sleep. Today we have been awake since 4:30am. He fell asleep 4 times with repeated attempts to settle but wakes up after 5 mins or less. I am now giving in and giving a bottle as I'm trying to drop last 2 BF now. He had a 45min dap between 8:30am - 9:15am. This is much earlier than usual as he'd been awake and crying for much of it.
I am so tired of constant settling. I am thinking of trying wake to sleep but realise it needs much commitment to sit there and watch for right moment. So any pointers gratefully received. I'd love him to achieve the ability for a longer afternoon nap as I think he really needs it. Fortunately he's a very jolly child who shows little sign of being as tired as he must be.
I'm not jolly though, completely fed up and don't know how to get beyond the early waking, the short naps etc. Is 11 months too young to ask for referral to a sleep clinic?
If you are still reading thanks for perservering.